Ode to Ms. Mouse and Bud

It happened down in Tinseltown in Califor-nie-ay,

My brother’s saga with his cat, Ms. Mouse, a six-toed grey.

‘Twas 5 a.m., Bud’s birthday.  Ms. Mouse was on the prowl,

“I’ll catch a divin’ mockin’ bird and take it to him now!”

She caught it and she ran upstairs.  The bird was just a-cussin’!

She dropped it on his covers.  ‘Twas then began the fussin’.

The bird flew off, the cat pursued, all kinds of noise erupted!

My brother sprang to join the chase, his deep sleep interrupted.

Dressed only in his birthday-suit he streaked both right and left,

And finally caught the half-crazed cat and put her in the bath.

He slammed the door to keep ‘er in, then chased the frightened bird.

It dived and cussed and flew around and called him names absurd!

He snagged it!  Then he checked it out and put it out the door.

It flew away.  He swore he heard that bird shriek, “Nevermore!”

He went to fetch the cooped-up cat.  The bath door wouldn’t budge.

His sixteen-foot tall ladder was out in the garage!

So wearily he donned some clothes and forthwith he did sally

To get the gol-derned ladder from the garage in the ally.

He put it up and skinnied through the bathroom winder-square.

The cat was cowerin’, scared to death at what had happened there.

He scooped ‘er up; they sat to rest.  O’course they used no words.

Ms. Mouse soon purred and Bud concurred, “Birthdays ’er fer the birds!”

                                               Ceil Harvey